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07/02/2008: "The Illusion Of Authority"
From the title, you probably think I'm about to launch into a political rant, don't you ... not this time ... 
Every town has that one street where the people just drive too damned fast. Maybe there's a dangerous curve ahead, or a school, or a crosswalk ... something down the road that you want to get folks to slow down for. But try as you may, they keep screaming past. You could put in speedbumps, but they can cause a speeding car to lose control - lawsuit city. You could install a cop with a radar gun, but we need them out on the streets catching real criminals - like people who forgot their asshats. But you have to do something ... how about fake speed bumps?
Cathy Campbell did a double-take and tapped the brakes when she spotted what appeared to be a pointy-edged box lying in the road just ahead.
She got fooled.
It was a fake speed bump, a flat piece of blue, white and orange plastic that is designed to look like a 3-D pyramid from afar when applied to the pavement.
No matter the speed mitigating device, the purpose is the same - get the drivers to slow down. By using these visually confusing devices, unsure drivers slow down to try and figure out what's going on - thus achieving the safety goal. They don't cost much, and they can be used in places where a real bump might present a safety hazard.
Of course, they do have one down side ...
"Initially they were great," said the Phoenix Police traffic coordinator, Officer Terry Sills. "Until people found out what they were."
Learning from the experience in Arizona, authorities are adding a publicity campaign in Philadelphia to let drivers know that the phony speed bumps will be followed by very real police officers, said Richard Blomberg, a contractor in charge of the study.
Even after motorists adjust, the fake bumps will act like flashing lights in a school zone, reminding drivers they are in an area where they should not be speeding, he said.
"After awhile the novelty wears off, but not the conspicuous effect," Blomberg said.
What's next - a popup cutuout of a motorcycle cop pointing a radar gun at you? 
